Collapsible brush



June 6, 1961 a. A. WEYL COLLAPSIBLE BRUSH Filed Oct. 28, 1959 x4 Mx as I 2(4 20w RJ 10x Mw INVENTOR. BERNARD AWEYL.

, BY M M Mam *lw'v ATTORNEYS.

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2,986,760 COLLAPSIBLE BRUSH Bernard A. Weyl, 757 Jefferson Drive, Pittsburgh 29, Pa. Filed Oct. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 849,411 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-203) My invention relates to collapsible brushes and consists in certain new and useful improvements in the structure of such brushes. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in collapsible brushes of the sort illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,871,494, granted on my application of February 3, 1959.

The art is familiar with many kinds of collapsible brushes that is; brushes whose bristles are arranged to be swung from an erect service position into a collapsed or nested position in common plane, and the object of my invention is to provide an improved brush element for the effective support of the bristles in both an erect service position and in a flattened or collapsed position. In its collapsed position the brush is reduced to such small thickness that the brush may be readily carried about in the pocket of a coat or other garment, or it may be packed in a minimum of space in a toilet kit, or in luggage. In line with my obpects economy in manufacture, and simplicity and efiectiveness of structure are realized.

A brush element embodying my present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the body of the brush element before the bristles are mounted therein. In this view the body of the element is shown in its collapsed position; 7

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the body of the brush element in its alternate or expanded position. In this view the brush bristles are shown mounted in the body and standing in erect service position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the brush ele ment on larger scale, showing the body of the brush element in the collapsed position in which it is drawn in FIG. 1, but with the bristles mounted in the body and arranged in nested position. This view also shows a modification in structural detail;

FIG. 4 is a view in transverse section, on the same scale as FIG. 3 of the body of the brush element, as seen on the plane IVIV of FIG. 5, illustrating another modification in structural detail;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view, on the scale of FIGS. 3 and 4, showing on the longitudinal section plane V-V of FIG. 4 the last-mentioned modified structure; and

FIG. 6 is a view comparable with FIG. 3, illustrating still another modification in construction.

Referring to the drawings the brush element consists of a flexible and elastic body 2 of plastic material, such as rubber, which is molded or extruded in such way that the body normally remains in the position in which it is shown in FIG. 1. In such position the body is of castellated form in longitudinal section, and between its castellations 20 grooves 3 open upwardly. The grooves have lateral wall portions 20w, as shown in the drawing.

Under the tension applied in the direction of arrows a and b in FIG. 1, the plastic body 2 becomes elongated, and in such elongated or distended body the castellations are drawn flat; that is, the lateral wall portions 20w and top wall portions 20t of the grooves 3 are moved into substantial common plane with the bottom wall portions 20x of the grooves. The grooves substantially disappear, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Upon release of the applied tension the elastic body, due to its inherent resilience and restitutional forces, returns to its castellated form, FIG. 1.

In the body 2 tufts 5 of bristles are anchored, as by a wall portions 20w of the grooves (FIG. 1), in such manner that, when the body is distended and flat, the tufts of bristles stand erect (FIG. 2) for service as a brush; The tufts 5 are arranged in rows transversely of body 2, with the tufts in one row staggered in their spacing with respect to those in the next-adjacent rows.

When the stretching stress is removed the body 2 returns to its normal castellated form, and the tufts5 of bristles turn from erect positions into positions in which the tufts in the two rows of tufts in each groove are interdigitated and nested in the groove, as will be understood upon considering FIG. 3 of the drawings. The row of bristle tufts adjacent to each end of body 2 need not have a groove 3 in which to nest, but simply may extend horizontally, as indicated at 512 in FIG. 3. i

The body 2 may be reinforced or thickened by means of integrally formed ribs 6 that extend transversely of the body in those regions where the tufts of bristles are secured. The ribs provide greater depth of plastic material in which to effect the anchorage of the bristles, or to permit the body 2 elsewhere to be of less thickness than would otherwise be required.

The brush element will be mounted on a suitable support to form the complete brush structure, and such support may take a great variety of forms, depending upon the particular service for which the brush is intended. The design of a suitable support is merely a matter for the artisan, and sufiice it herein to say that one end of the brush element may be provided with an attachment portion adapted to be secured to the support for movement relatively to an attachment portion at the other end, and any suitable means may be used forsecuring the ends. In exemplary way in FIG. 2,- 1 illustrate fragmenta-rily two relatively movable portions 7 and 8 of a support. The attachment portion at each end of the brush element may comprise a tongue 10 of circular cross section which may be integrally formed along each end of body 2, and complementary grooves 9 in the support portions 7 and 8 may serve firmly to engage said ends of the body to them, wherefore it is merely necessary to move the sup ports 7 and 8 relatively to each other between alternate fixed positions to adjust the brush element between collapsed and service positions.

In accordance with my present invention, I provide secondary resilient means, that is means for supplementing the inherent resilience which tends to restore the body 2 of the brush element from its distended service position (FIG. 2) to its collapsed position (FIG. 1). Advantageously, such means comprise a plurality of longitudinally extending bands or straps 21 of rubber or other suitable elastic material that are positioned in laterally spaced relation on the bottom of body 2 and vulcanized or otherwise secured at their ends to the ends of the said body 2, as at points 22 and 23. When the brush body is expanded into service position (FIG. 2), the bands 21 are expanded with such body and exert a force over and above that inherent in the body to return the body to its collapsed position (FIG. 1). This insures that an excess of restitutional force is present in the structure always to return the brush body from service position to collapsed position, and over the period of the normal service life of the brush compensation or safeguard is made for any depreciation in the elasticity or restitutional forces of the structure.

Whereas in FIGS. 1-3 the reinforcement of the restitution power of the brush body 2 is shown as comprising a plurality of spaced bands 21 secured at their opposite of said body. In modification the bands 21 may in some cases be formed as 'asingle web of elastic material of substantially the width of the body 2 and secured to the body 2 at the several points at which the bands 21 are secured.

By virtue of the restitutional efiect obtainedby means of the bands 21,or by means of a web, as described, it becomes feasible to form the body 2 of the brush element of a material that has less elasticity or restitutional force than is otherwise required. Indeed, by forming the clastic bands 21 (or web) of suflicient weight or thickness all required restitutional efliect may be obtained thereby alone, wherefore the body 2 may be formed of a plasticreinforced fabric, or other suitable material which may be almost or wholly devoid of elasticity, simply a material which will move to and from the positions illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively-a material to which the bands 2 (or web) may be vulcanized, fused, riveted, or

otherwise secured at the points already indicated.

In modification of the structure of FIGS. 1-3, a plurality of laterally spaced helical springs 25 is assembled at the bottom of body 2, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in lieu of the elastic bands 21. The springs 25 are secured at their opposite ends, as by vulcanizing in movable rubber members 70 and 80, the counterparts of the members 7 and 8 shown in FIG. 2. The end edges of the body 2 may also be vulcanized, as at 26 and 27, to the members 70 and 80. If desired, at selected points along the lengths of the springs the bottom wall portions 20x of the body 2 may be secured, as by vulcanizing, to the springs. This modified structure of FIGS. 4 and functions in substantially the same manner as the structure of FIGS. 1-3.

It may be noted that the essential flexibility of the castellated body of the brush element may be obtainedv or augmented, by forming the top, bottom and lateral wall portions of the body as independently fashioned sections t, w and x which are hinged together, as shown at 60 and 61 in FIG. 6.

Various other modifications maybe made in the structure described, without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A brush element having a body of elastic plastic maten'al, said body being of substantially castellated form in longitudinal section to prdvideupwardly open grooves having top, bottomaridla'tralwall portions that extend transversely of said body, and rows of bristle tufts secured in the lateral wall portions of the grooves, with the tufts arranged in substantially horizontal positions in the grooves, said body being expansible under longitudinally applied tension into a substantially flat form, whereby said lateral wall portions of the grooves move into a substantially horizontal plane and swing said tufts into substantially vertical position, the elasticity and restitutional characteristics of said body tending upon release of the applied tension to restore said body from its said substantially flat form to its castellated form, and returning said tufts to said horizontal positions in said grooves, in combination with secondary means extending longitudinally adjacent to said bottom wall portions, said secondary means being elastic and resilient in the direction of the longitudinal extent thereof and connected to the opposite ends of said brush body and being expansible with the brush body under applied tension as above defined, and upon the release of such tension the elasticity and restitutional characteristics of said secondary means cooperating with the elasticity and restitutional characteristics of the brush body during the restoration of the said body from its substantially flat form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 239,159 Gaussen Mar. 22, 1881 799,799 Moseley Sept. 19, 1905 1,606,899 Rockwood Nov. 16, 1926 2,871,494 Weyl Feb. 3, 1959 

